I think the time around Thanksgiving is a good time to come up with some serious thoughts because usually this is the time where almost anybody has some well-know thank you phrases at hand and blares them out without thinking about them and above all without living them.

There are thanks for family, friends, God and many others who are carelessly ignored over the year, even if there are more than enough opportunities to do otherwise.

Our nowadays world developed into a careless, cold-blooded, cold-hearted world where it seems as if almost anybody seems to think: Me first! I earned that! Why do I have to say thanks?

The wonderful tradition of respecting each other and say at least “thank you” when another person did something good for you seems to be totally gone. And this not only among grown-ups, but also children even don’t know how to be polite anymore. Politeness is old-fashioned, respect was exchanged with haughtiness and giving others a helping hand is experienced and answered with so much taken-for-grantedness that I can only come up with gasping.

The internet is quite often the place of happenings that just leaves you in shock. Not only that people still believe that they can hide here in a secure anonymity, what is just a wishful thinking, no they just forget, like the celebrities being sent into the Australian jungle and forgetting about the 24h cameras, that the whole world is watching, well, at least anybody who wants to. Almost nobody is aware that every post, tweet, picture or note they share is not only reproduced onto at least 20 other websites, but also almost impossible to delete once and for all. Whatever it is, spreads pandemically and can’t be taken back because once out you can’t catch up.

A drama started here not only spreads uncontrollably, but so fast and so thoroughly that it can’t be ended cause there is already some troll at hand who pushes it on.

Children and youngsters are intermixing with adults and all are invading others privacy without giving it a second thought.

What was the shitstorm just some years ago is today being excluded from a usually tiny, but selected group of “insiders” who behave like kings in a kingdom granting accesses, privileges and “inside information”. People get punished by being blogged or unfollowed and everybody feels at ease with it because it is just the internet. A click here, a click there and the task is done. No thought about what this might mean for the person in target, their image or what’s the story behind.

Pictures are taken from other accounts and posted somewhere else without asking for permission, cryptic messages are just burped out without checking the why and people are manipulated in the desired direction for no real cause. It is just the internet, right?

The problem is that there are real people behind all those stories, real work, real careers, real images and not too seldom real money and that the internet is a worldwide communication medium that cannot be controlled. Real companies make real deals or not here and how often has it happen that your own protégé or the one you have helped to get their feet in the door just shrugged the shoulders and instead of thanking you, showed you the finger while rushing by? How often have you helped someone with something and got ignored when it was usually time to say thanks to those who helped with a project or career? How often was your own good image used by someone for their very own goals?

Feelings are just left out cause no one wants to deal with them. They are difficult, annoying and real and that’s a no-go as we are living in modern internet times and it seems to be an almost unspoken rule to live out feelings over there, in the virtual world where nobody can be identified and feelings can be hidden. Above all feelings like frustration about the own life just by making another human being feeling miserable. This is so much easier than to deal with your own miserability, right?

I have some questions for you, just as a thought for this long Thanksgiving weekend:

Have you ever thought about why back then people were called VIP’s and now just celebrities?

Have you ever felt angry because some kiddo on the net disrespected you as an adult?

When was the last time someone thanked you and mentioned you openly for lending a helping hand?

Do you really think it is okay to start, push forward or intermingle in an drama started only where a person’s real feelings are hurt or manipulated?

Aren’t you tired of checking all your own social media accounts on a daily basis and those of the people “dangerous” for you too?

When was the last time you took a picture of something beautiful, amazing, funny or interesting and posted it only just to share it without any hidden agenda?

Do you really believe all your followers do like you and what you post?

How sure are you that all those information blared into your ear are true and not only placed delicately to manipulate you?

When was the last time you had a real, deep and meaningful conversation online that left you smiling and feeling really good?

Do you really enjoy all the time you spend checking you Smartphone instead of just enjoying life, nature, people, discussions and reality around you how imperfect it might be?

Do you really want to tell me you don’t miss the times where things were easier because most was face to face and you didn’t have to check follower numbers, posts likes and reactions online?

Don’t you miss the times where you were able to earn real money with you real work in the real world by selling books, dvd’s, cd’s, records, canvas and tickets instead of getting just some dimes for virtual products?

What the hell is wrong with this world and aren’t we all are responsible for stopping those maleficent trends?

In that sense:

Happy Thanksgiving weekend!

Something to think about on a Sunday evening ...

Maybe you wanna call your eldest siblings, loved ones or friends,

just ... well, just because, you know ...

If I knew it would be the last time

That I'd see you fall asleep,

I would tuck you in more tightly

and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.

If I knew it would be the last time

that I see you walk out the door,

I would give you a hug and kiss

and call you back for one more.

If I knew it would be the last time

I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,

I would video tape each action and word,

so I could play them back day after day.

If I knew it would be the last time

I could spare an extra minute

to stop and say " I love you,"

instead of assuming you would KNOW I do.

If I knew it would be the last time

I would be ther to share your day,

Well I'm sure you'll have so many more,

so I can let just this one slip away.

For surely there's always tomorrow

to make up for an oversight,

and we always get a second chance

to make everything just right.

There will always be another day

to say " I love you,"

And certainly there's another chance

to say our " Anything I can do?"

But just in case I might be wrong,

and today is all I get,

I'd like to say how much I love you

and hope we never forget.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,

young or old alike,

And today may be the last chance

you get to hold your loved one tight.

So if you're waiting for tomorrow,

why not do it today?

For if tomorrow never comes,

you'll surely regret the day,

That you didn't take that extra time

for a smile, hug, or a kiss

and you were to busy to grant someone,

what turned out to be their one last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today,

and whisper in their ear,

Tell them you'll always hold them dear

Take time to say " I'm sorry,"

"Please forgive me," "Thank you," or " It's okay."

And if tomorrow never comes,

you'll have no regrets about today.

(Dr. H. Solomon, in memory of those who lost their lives at 9/11 and for me in memory of somebody I lost the same day)